How to Cook Venison to Taste Great
By Marty Prokop
You had a successful
deer hunting year. Whether you harvested your trophy buck or
a nice doe for the freezer, you can now enjoy venison meat
in your freezer.
At 14 years old (several
decades ago), I was very fortunate to harvest my first deer.
I could hardly wait to sink my teeth into my first venison
steak. I pulled a package of deer meat out of the freezer
the night before, placed it in a bowl and put it straight
into the refrigerator to thaw for dinner the next day.
When dinner time rolled
around I unwrapped the venison and placed it straight into a
hot skillet. I pan seared the venison steaks on each side,
flipping continuously.
When steaks were done, I
placed them on my plate, carved off the first piece and
popped it into my mouth.
The result? Tough, dry,
almost non-edible, hockey pucks.
I vowed to find the
answer to better tasting venison.
Venison, like many
meats, doesn’t have to be cooked to the point it resembles
straw.
Since venison and most
wild game meats are so lean, I now cook venison with a
little moisture in the pan. This can help the meat stay
tender and juicy. I also discovered repeated flipping of the
meat can dry it out quicker.
Marty Prokop Cooking Tip
- Sure to Please
I started to experiment
with various liquids when cooking my venison. I like to use
beef and vegetable broth in the pan. If you are not
concerned about calories you can use butter or good cooking
oil.
I use a medium heat.
Keep an eye on the venison meat as it cooks. Depending on
thickness, cook the venison three to five minutes per side.
Only flip the venison meat one time!
Pull the venison from
the pan. Remember the venison meat will continue to cook
after it is pulled from the heat. Using a little lower heat
and a bit of moisture in the pan helps keep your venison
tender and juicy.
Good Luck and Great
Hunting
Marty Prokop
www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
